Shinobi Potential
by CUPCAKE-L3VER
Summary: She chased the bullies away herself when she learned she could count on no one. At the same time she learned what she could do, what she was capable of, and what great potential she held.


Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto series nor do I own its characters.

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**SHINOBI POTENTIAL**

Resolve

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It all started back when I had just turned four. Back then I was a shy, innocent and easily scared girl. Some people used that against me.

Ami, a purple headed girl with a downright nasty personality, was one of them. Properly the worst of them all, actually. I don't know what her problem was, she always had to go ahead and shove me down the swings, pull my hair, call me names. Always physically abuse me.

Then, one day, in the middle of the civilian playground, she had to direct all the attention towards me. She showed me down into the sand box, standing above, preparing to give me yet another beating. The other children, who had curiously gathered around us, started chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" over and over again.

I was nervous, my knees were shaking and I feared they'd give in under me, they didn't though.

Ami looked at me with her always sadistic expression, ready to beat me up like she had done multiple times before. "You scared Forehead?" She asked mockingly as my eyes watered. "Oh, look! The Huge Forehead is crying. What? Wanna run home to your mommy?" she asked tauntingly.

I gulped as she walked closer to me, backing away from her until I reached the wooden frame of the sandpit. "S-Stop it!" Though it was meant as a demand, it sounded more like a question or a suggestion with my high pitched, panicking voice.

Ami just smirked as she looked down at me, she knew she had me where she wished me to be. As she took in my horrified expression her eyes fell on the bracelet on my hand. "What a nice bracelet." She said, my eyes widening in horror, holding my hand over the silver chain protectively. The bracelet had been my last gift from my deceased father. "It doesn't fit you though, Forehead. But don't you worry; _I'll_ help you get rid of it." I struggled, but Ami was much stronger than I, and she managed to pull off my bracelet without even damaging it, this due to how oversized it really was. She viewed it with a small, victorious smile. "See," she gloated amused at me, "It looks much better on me."

I frowned insecurely. "G-Give it back, Ami!" The words came out a bit stumbling, but else my voice was much more firm than usually.

"What about… No." Ami suggested, "Besides, Forehead, who'd make me?_ You_?"

I was torn between anger, horror and self-pity. Not knowing what to do with those exact emotions I gritted my teeth at her, "Ami!" I raised my voice at her, shocking quite a bit of the audience we had.

Ami's eyebrows raised almost to her hairline, "Seems like I made you mad, Forehead?" her lips were tinted upwards in a bemused, taunting smirk.

I narrowed my eyes on her. "Give. It. Back." My voice was final, and the look of my emerald eyes was both wild and infuriated.

Ami glowered, unsatisfied that I for once showed a little back bone. "Make me, if you can." she challenged, dangling the bracelet from side to side in front of my face. "If I was you, I'd shut up and behave, though. We wouldn't want your precious little bracelet to break, now would we?" She closed her fist around the fragile chain, her dace dark.

I gapped terrified.

I jumped from the ground, throwing my own body over Ami's, taking her down to the ground with me. We rolled over the dirty ground as I tried to break her tight grip on my bracelet. Occasionally either I or Ami would hit a stone and hiss out. Ami topped me again and hit out for my head, I just managed to dodge before she threw the next hit. She missed twice more before I rolled over, now on top of her. Her fist tightened around my bracelet again, my eyes widened as I heard the metal give a little cracking sound. I smashed her head into the ground angrily, making her growl out painfully at me.

I didn't feel bad about it, but felt a weird jolt of excitement as I hurt her.

Ami bit my arm, making me with-draw it. I glowered at her with a glazed look. Suddenly everything felt so much easier, either Ami had suddenly become weaker, much, much weaker, or I had become a lot stronger. Without me noticing my hands made a byline towards her neck, and the next thing I knew I was strangling her. As she struggled under me, trying desperately to get free, the other kids looked at me horrified, yet none of them made to help psychically step in an help Ami.

Some, those I recognized as Ami's closest friends, pleaded that I let her go though.

It was first then I realized I was killing her, and shocked I let go of her. I gapped at my hands, worry of my earlier actions suddenly awakening, as I became just slightly scared of myself.

Ami coughed, her hands protectively over the now red marks on her neck, and threw me a nasty glare. Taking the opportunity that I now was distracted, she rolled us over again. But before she could even launch at me, I threw my clenched fist at her.

A sickening crackle was heard, and Ami dropped my bracelet on the ground in reflex.

I hit her.

And square in the face at that.

Tears formed in Ami's eyes as she threw me off of her, with much trouble, and backed away to check on her now slightly deform nose. "Look what you did!" she screeched at me, showing of her now bloodied nose, she whimpered as she moved her hands. The other kids looked at her worried, "I-I'll tell my Mom!" she cried at me, pointing accusingly, as I watched her with uncaring eyes.

I snorted at her, looking sardonic. "Go do that, Ami." My voice was mocking and I wasn't scared as I should be, surprisingly. Actually I was more excited, and maybe partly disappointed the fight had ended.

Ami started crying and ran from the playground; her friend's right behind her, most looking back at me, all with shocked, worried or downright horrified looks. Why did they look at me like _I _was the monster? It was them who had started, Ami had clearly deserved every last bit of that hit. My eyes narrowed. They were monsters… they had no right to look at me like that.

My eyes widened as I suddenly remembered something very important. I turned quickly and kneeled on the ground, searching frantically through the sand. I couldn't see the bracelet anymore, it had properly been pushed down into the gravel as Ami and I fought.

I made a strangled sound.

As soon as that thought hit, my hands were in the dirt, digging through the earth quickly. As something metal-ish feeling touched my hands I stopped, immediately graphing the chain feeling object. And true enough, when I pulled it from the gravel I could see it was my bracelet.

My treasure.

I checked it as I held my breath.

No scratches, no nothing. I don't know how it was possible but it was luckily unharmed.

I sighed in relief.

The only thing my father had left me was okay, I sunk together on the ground, relived. I lifted my arm, dangling my beloved jewelry in front of my face as I watched it. I smile found its way to my mouth as I remembered what my father had said when he gave it to me, "A special jewel to a special person." I murmured the words out loud to myself.

Maybe I should have hit Ami some more for touching it… with a shake of my head I discarded my thoughts, wondering when I suddenly had become so violent. Sitting up I put my bracelet back on, securing it. Untroubled I stood from the ground, grimacing at my ruined outfit.

My mom would kill me.

I brushed the worst of with my hands, hoping to make myself at least a bit more decent looking.

I left the playground, not noticing the slightly widened eyes which rested upon me.

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**X**

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It wasn't until half a week later I found out that someone had actually been watching me. Watching my fight, to be more exact.

My mother was dressed in a knee length skirt and a kimono style shirt, our clan mark on the back of it. She dried her hands off in an apron before answering the door, she'd been cocking when someone had suddenly knocked.

Outside of the door a woman with purple hair and onyx eyes stood, dressed in regular shinobi attire. "Haruno Mebuki?" she inquired. I watched the lady with curious eyes, wondering what she wanted from my mother half past seven in the morning. The woman must have noticed my curious gaze because suddenly her eyes were on me, a look I couldn't quite decipher on her face.

My mother nodded at the woman, "Yes?" she inquired. "And who are you?"

The lady bowed in a very polite manner, "I'm Uzuki Yugao and I'm here on behalf of the Hokage." Her voice was even and monotone.

My mother's brows rose, "The Hokage? Please come in, then." My mother offered slightly startled. The woman nodded and entered together with my mother. "Please," my mother offered, "Have a seat. I was in the middle of making breakfast, would you like some, Uzuki-san?"

Uzuki-san, as she had introduced herself, sat down on the opposite side of me. "Thank you, Haruno-san, but I'm afraid I must decline your offer. As a Konoha jounin I have much to do, you see." She explained offering a smile of gratitude.

The kettle whined as my mother took it off the stove, poring three cups of tea. When Uzuki-san opened her mouth to decline again my mother interrupted, "Please, Uzuki-san, let me show at least this hospitality." My mother had always been rather good at caring for guests.

Uzuki-san looked at my mother for awhile before nodding, "Thank you, Haruno-san," my mother placed the cup in front of her.

My mother sat down next to me, looking at Uzuki-san curiously as she sipped her tea. "You said Hokage-sama send you here?" my mother asked.

Uzuki-san nodded, "It would be more accurate to say Hokage-sama send me here on behalf of the academy." Uzuki-san gave me a side cast glance.

"The academy?" She asked puzzled, placing down her tea.

Uzuki-san nodded, "Precisely four days ago a jounin of ours witnessed Sakura-san fight–"

My mother gave her an unimpressed look, she had already known about the fight as Ami's parents had been over to talk with her. "If this jounin saw the kids fight, why didn't he stop them!" she demanded.

Uzuki-san shrugged as she chose not to answer, but continue her story. "The jounin watched your daughter, Haruno Sakura, use an actual shinobi technique."

My mother's eyes widened, "I… I see… what kind of technique did you say my daughter used?" she questioned, I could see she was uncomfortable.

"It's called Chakra Enchanted Strength." Uzuki clarified, "when you use this jutsu you multiply you physically strength." She added when she saw both me and my mother's confused looks. "It's very impressing, Haruno-san."

Before my mother could say anything I spoke, "But… Uzuki-san, I didn't mean to use that jutsu." I silently admitted.

Uzuki-san raised a brow at me, "You didn't? I suppose you're what we call a natural, then."

My mother looked at Uzuki-san with a disgruntled look, "But Sakura's a civilian, I have no shinobi roots, nor had my late husband!" she explained distressed.

"Civilian children are born with chakra networks too, Haruno-san." She looked at me with a flicker of interest. "But… you are indeed right, it isn't normal for civilians to poses powers like you daughters."

My mother nodded, looking slightly offended. "The academy thinks highly of Sakura-san, the jounin who watched her jutsu was very impressed and he wanted me to give Sakura-san this." In my hands a small convolute was placed, I looked at itcuriously. "It's an offer for you to join the academy in a few years when you turn six." She explained as if she had read my mind.

I gapped slightly. It had always been a dream of mine to become a ninja, I had discarded it though, back when my father had told me that he under no circumstances would allow it.

"Cases like this are rare." She stood from her chair and bowed politely, "I thank you for the delicious tea, Haruno-san, and it was nice meeting you, Sakura-san. I'll be on my way now." she announced, walking towards the door.

"Wait!" my mother called, surprising both me and Uzuki-san, "what is your professional opinion about this, Uzuki-san?"

I couldn't help but smile sadly at my mother, I knew she was thorn right now. She wanted to support me, I knew, but at the same time being a shinobi was a dangerous job which she wouldn't want her child to have.

Uzuki-san turned and looked at me, a glint of confidence shining in her eyes , "It's an honor for someone to be chosen by the academy, only few others from the same year have received a similar letter. If I was Sakura-san I would think about it." Then she bowed one last time and left.

My mother looked at me with pleading eyes.

But it was no help, I had already decided.

I'd become a shinobi, a great one at that.

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**X**

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